


Hold Me Closer

by sweet_symphony0



Series: Hold Me Closer [1]
Category: Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018), Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018) Actor RPF
Genre: Attempted Sexual Assault, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-27
Updated: 2019-09-27
Packaged: 2020-10-29 02:41:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20789249
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweet_symphony0/pseuds/sweet_symphony0
Summary: Joe knew that Rami was the protective boyfriend when he needed to be. One night at a party, however, Joe finds out exactly just how much.





	Hold Me Closer

**Author's Note:**

> Guess who's back with more protective Rami! This one is a lot heavier, deals with sexual assault. If that's triggering, please take care, and don't read for your safety! It get much sweeter at the end, lots of fluff and love.

They decided to throw a reunion party. It had been a year since the premiere, a year since they’d all properly seen the cast and crew, aside from Gwil and Ben. So the need for an occasion had risen, and Joe booked the date and venue two months beforehand so that no one could say no last minute.

The Skylark Bar was a rooftop bar that was spacious enough that could hold their total party but still allow plenty of room to move around and mingle. Even if it wasn’t a private party-Skylark wouldn’t allow that-it was still going to be a good time. Two floors of good booze, good music, and spectacular views of the New York City skyline. Joe couldn’t wait.

But as the days passed and things finalized, the realization of being surrounded by the general public while he and Rami-_ especially _ Rami-were out with their friends didn’t seem like the best course of action. The last thing Joe wanted was Rami getting swarmed while trying to have a good night for the first time in what he knew was ages.

Joe gnawed his lip. “Should we have booked this as a private event?”

Rami was peering over his shoulder at Joe’s laptop, his left hand leaning on the table for support. He frowned, deep in thought as he read over the details of the confirmation, and didn’t say anything for a minute. Joe waited, as he turned his attention back to the screen, also skimming over the details. 9pm, wristband for party entry, no cover charge, which was a pleasant surprise.

“Too late now,” Rami murmured. “We’ll just...keep it quiet. I doubt press will show up there, it’s too local of a spot. The bar won’t allow it.”

That was true, Joe thought. Part of the reason they chose Skylark to begin with was that it wasn’t a tourist trap. Yeah, maybe it had a few hits on TripAdvisor, but in all the times Joe had been there, even if he had been recognized, he hasn’t been bothered by anyone, which was the important thing. New York was a city where people respected and understood the need to blend in, there was an unwritten rule that you don’t bother celebrities in the street-they were people, trying to go about their lives, just like everyone else.

But that didn’t mean Joe didn’t still have his worries, and rightfully so.

“It’ll be fun,” Rami shrugged. “Maybe they have a separate entrance we can use. Less people then.”

“Sure,” Joe muttered, still staring at the screen. He felt Rami squeeze his bicep then, and he finally looked up. Rami was glancing at him with a fond expression, and he leaned down to kiss Joe softly. Joe felt his heart swell, because god, he loved this man.

“Thank you for doing this,” Rami said when they parted. “Whatever happens, I’m looking forward to it.”

\---

They’re not technically hosts or anything, but when they show up half an hour into it, when most of their friends have arrived, they get a rousing cheer when they walk in the door. Gwil and Ben are in town, luckily, and could make it, despite having different schedules. Ben’s got fashion week and Gwil has a press circuit he’s been asked to do, but they’re both there, drinks in hand, beaming at Rami and Joe when they catch sight of their clasped hands.

“Oh god, look at you two,” Gwil grinned, pulling Rami into a hug. Rami responded with equal enthusiasm, wrapping his arms around Gwil tightly. “It’s so great to see you! Joe, looking well, mate.”

“Thanks,” Joe grinned in delight. “Gwil! I can’t believe you’re here!” He swiveled around to find Ben, all but tackling him from where he was embracing Rami now. “Benny!”

“Joe!”

Rami and Gwil rolled their eyes in unison, watching the antics of fellow castmates, but Rami was tickled. He loved the bond the four of them shared, the little family all in itself that they had created, a band of their own. With the three of them by his side, he knew this was already shaping up to be a good night. He’d have to thank Joe after tonight; he hadn’t realized how much he’d needed this.

“Drinks?” Joe smiled at Rami, intertwining their fingers again. “We have to catch up to Ben and Gwil here.”

Rami laughed, eyeing the cocktails that Gwil and Ben held, and Gwil pointedly took a sip of his vodka soda, hiding a smirk behind his glass. Rami’s grin widened. “Sure, a gin and tonic?”

Joe pecked him on the lips. “You got it.”

He meandered between the crowd, spotting some of the sound guys from the crew, who he hadn’t seen since the Oscars, where they all got plastered. Hopefully, they could repeat that tonight.

“Hey man,” Joe said, leaning against the bar. The bartender nodded, and Joe fished out his wallet. “A gin and tonic, and....what white wines do you have?”

He gathered their respective drinks, about to make his way back to Rami, when he froze. The hair on the back of his neck stood up. Someone was watching him, but he couldn’t spot anyone currently in his line of vision. He waited another minute, before shaking his head.

“Ridiculous.”

But he knew it wasn’t ridiculous, and he could still feel that uncomfortable moment of being trapped, even as he made it back to Rami, handing over the gin and tonic.

“Everything okay, Joe?” Rami asked with a frown, studying him. “You were gone a while.”

“Fine,” Joe blinked. He smiled then, clinking his glass against Ben’s. “Sorry, the line was really long, and then I ran into people. Just give me a minute? Paul Westwood wanted me to go talk to him.”

“Sure,” Rami smiled, but it didn’t meet his eyes. Joe knew Rami could read him like a book, after being together for so long, and Joe internally cursed. “We’ll be here. You want company?”

“No, because if you come with me, then I can’t make the excuse that my boyfriend is looking for me in case I need saving,” Joe teased, and Ben snorted, inhaling his drink up his nose.

“Well Rami,” Ben said. “Can’t argue with that. Go on Joe, we’re stealing your boyfriend for a bit.”

Joe grinned triumphantly before walking away, finding a quiet spot on the upper floor of the bar, inhaling the fresh air. He was fine, he thought, taking a sip of his wine. It was a nice night, crisp with the autumn air, not too chilly for October, and the way New York City was lit up made Joe feel relaxed. 

“Is this spot taken?” A voice asked, and Joe frowned because that voice sounded familiar, and wasn’t Paul, and when he glanced up, his eyes widened.

Mark. Mark Wilson, his old boyfriend. _ Ex_-boyfriend, his brain corrected, and furthermore, _ abusive _ex-boyfriend.

“What-” Joe stared, flabbergasted. _ What was he _\- “What are you doing here?”

Mark placed his glass on the railing. “What, I can’t visit an old friend? I heard you might be here tonight, so I took a gamble and I was right. You look good, Joe.”

God, Joe felt sick. Mark was still as attractive as the day they broke up, but he knew they broke up for a reason. He was smiling like he didn’t have the audacity to walk into this event and put Joe’s night in upheaval. Like he hadn’t made Joe’s life hell for the last two years of their relationship, had beaten Joe down into practically nothing, until Rami came along finally and spent years stitching Joe back up. He was _ still _stitching Joe back up. Joe wouldn’t stand for Mark being here, especially with Rami just one floor down. “I don’t know how you found out about tonight, but you need to leave. You’re not welcome here.”

“Ah, don’t be like that,” Mark said, placing his hand on Joe’s forearm, and Joe immediately jerked back. “I haven’t seen you in forever, I want to talk.”

“Don’t you fucking touch me,” he gasped out, eyes narrowing. “Leave. Now. I won’t ask again.”

Mark stepped closer still, trapping Joe between the railing of the bar and himself, creating a barrier between Joe and the rest of the party. Most of their friends were downstairs, and Joe regretted his decision to come up here, eyes darting wildly between Mark and the stairs. “Look, I don’t know what you want or why you’re here, but I’m not interested, Mark. We’re done. We broke up, because you are a piece of-”

Mark surged forward then, planting his lips squarely on Joe’s and Joe let out a shout, muffled by Mark’s lips on his. He elbowed his way out of Mark’s grip, managing to create some distance. “What the _ fuck _are you doing?!”

“Shh, stop it,” Mark whispered, shoving Joe up against the railing, and Joe panicked, thrashing his arms out, but Mark held him in a vice grip. “Let me do this, you know you want it. And it’s what I want, too, I’ve missed you.” And he kissed Joe again, manipulating Joe’s mouth against his, and Joe felt powerless, but it wasn’t until he felt Mark’s boner pressing up against him that he felt sick.

“No, stop-Mark-stop-I said _ stop- _”

The thing with Mark, Joe knew, was that he never listened to Joe in all the time they were together, and Joe knew it was fruitless. As Joe felt Mark continue to kiss him, feel his dick pressing into his thigh, he wanted to cry, and then Mark palmed Joe’s dick through his trousers, and Joe jerked back hard against the railing, which only caused Mark to move in. The wine glass Joe held slipped out of his fingers at the sudden commotion, crashing to the ground, wine and shattered glass splattering everywhere. None of the glass got him, but the wine did, and Joe could feel his pants were soaked. Joe braced his hands against the railing, clutching tightly, hoping for someone, _ anyone _to come find him, before things got worse. He knew he’d gotten the drinks himself but what if Mark had tipped off the bartender to spike his drink-

He felt he was crying before he heard it, the sobs coming out in tiny gasps, like he was struggling to breathe. Which was true, with Mark draped all over him, caging him in.

“Mark-stop-please-”

And then in a second Mark was gone, flung off his body, and hands were on him. He couldn’t help the reaction of flinching violently, until another set of hands were on him, holding him steady.

“Get your filthy, fucking hands,” Rami snarled, and Joe snapped up, eyes locking on his boyfriend, relief flooding through him. He was furious, a picture of volatile rage, towering over Mark from where he lay on the floor. “_Off _ him.”

“Listen man,” Mark started, clutching his rib from Rami had knocked him over. “I don’t want to start any trouble-”

“Yeah?” Rami’s fist clenched, swinging dangerously close to Mark’s face before Gwil grabbed Rami round the shoulders to hold him back. “It’s a little fucking late for that! You don’t fucking touch him!”

“Rami,” Joe gasped out, grasping onto Ben, who he now realized was the one who was holding him up. “Rami, it’s fine, he’s not worth-”

“The hell it’s fine!” Rami screamed, thrashing against Gwil. “He fucking sexually assaulted you! It’s not fucking fine!”

“Rami,” Gwil said firmly, catching the devastated look on Joe’s face. “Joe needs you right now. Okay? Let me and Ben take care of this. You need to take care of Joe.”

Rami deflated instantly, but he was still staring at Mark while he took in Gwil’s words. He nodded, and Gwil sighed in relief before letting him go, but the minute he did, Rami lunged forward and swung his fist straight into Mark’s jaw.

“_Rami_!”

But Rami didn’t care. Striding back his boyfriend, he left Gwil to deal with Mark and he knelt down, cupping Joe’s face in his palm, wiping the excess tears away. “Come on, Joe. We’re getting out of here.”

Sharing a look between Ben and Gwil, Joe swallowed and nodded.

\---

They didn’t say a word in the taxi home, but Joe did keep his hand in Rami’s tight enough to be a death grip. It spoke volumes that Rami gripped his just as tightly, and it also reassured Joe that Rami’s anger wasn’t directed at _ him_. They were silent all through the elevator up to their floor, and when Rami unlocked the door to their flat, Joe slipped inside before toeing off his shoes, tossing his jacket on the couch and heading to the shower. He made it two steps into the bathroom before his stomach lurched and he vomited.

“Joe!”

Rami was there, holding him up as he vomited a second time, and then he was crying, and crying, and couldn’t stop.

“Joe, I need you to breathe,” Rami said firmly, holding him by the shoulders. “Look at me, can you look at me? Good, that’s good. I’m here. I’m right here, we’re home, in our flat, where you’re safe. You’re safe, Joe.” He wrapped his arms around Joe then, pressing him tightly to his chest so much that there wasn’t any room between them. He needed the contact as much as Joe did in that moment, and his anger flared all over again thinking of the scene he’d walked in on. “I have you, baby, I’m here.” Joe’s breathing was still erratic, and he whimpered, so Rami began to take exaggerated breaths, hoping Joe would feel it. “Shhh, Joe. You’re going to breathe with me, okay? Match your breathing to mine, you can do it. We’re going to take a long nice deep breath in…” He inhaled. “And out…good, good job, sweetheart. I’m so proud of you. Let’s try another, okay? Ready, breathe in…”

Five minutes later, Joe thankfully wasn’t panicking anymore, but he was still crying, slow tears that couldn’t seem to stop even if he wanted them to. Rami leaned in and kissed Joe’s forehead, wiping Joe’s tears with his thumbs. “Better?”

Joe shrugged, sniffling, and couldn’t bring himself to look at Rami’s face. “I think so. I’m still…” He shrugged again, and felt Rami caressing his cheek.

“Joey,” he heard Rami’s voice crack. “Please look at me, darling.”

He did, and when he did, his heart broke. Rami was crying, his expression something so incredibly vulnerable, and Joe made a distressed sound, reaching out to soothe Rami’s tears. Rami immediately pulled him into a hug. “I’m so sorry, Joe. I’m _ so _sorry, if only I’d gotten there sooner-”

“No,” Joe shook his head. “It’s not your fault, Mark has always been an asshole.”

“That’s one word for him,” Rami muttered, wiping his face. “I fucking hate him.”

“That makes two of us,” Joe attempted to joke, but Rami didn’t laugh. He stared at Joe a moment longer before letting out a soft sound that Joe couldn’t decipher and pulled Joe against his chest again.

“I’ll always be here for you, Joey, you know that right?”

“Of course I do, how could I not?”

Rami kissed the top of his head, then leaned down to kiss him on the lips softly. “Are you okay? Please tell me nothing else happened before I got there-”

“No,” Joe shivered and Rami gripped him tighter, running his hands up and down Joe’s back. “He-it was what you saw. Thank god you came when you did. All of you.” His voice broke as the implication of what happened hit him, and what could have happened. He was crying all over again.

“Oh baby,” Rami whispered, rocking them back and forth. “It’s okay, I have you. I’m right here, sweetheart, it’s okay. Let it out...just let it out, there’s no one here but us. You’re safe.”

“I feel-” Joe choked out. “So-so _ dirty _ -so vio- _ violated_. I thought it-it was over when I left him, but-but-” he broke out into fresh sobs, and Rami ran his hands through Joe’s hair, before pressing kisses all over Joe’s face, holding him upright as Joe clutched to him desperately like a lifeline.

“C’mere baby, c’mere,” Rami said gently. “Sweetheart, you’re okay...it’s okay, I’ve got you. Let’s get you cleaned up, and then we’ll go to bed, alright? How’s that sound?” And Joe nodded, still sobbing. He allowed Rami to undress him, turning the spray of the shower on, before he shucked his own clothes off, tossing them in the general direction of where Joe’s lay on the floor. “There we go, step in.” He held tight to Joe’s hand while Joe stepped into the shower, not trusting him to stand on his own. Under the spray of the water, they held each other, the mixture of the water, heat and steam calming them. Rami pressed another kiss to Joe’s temple, reaching for the body wash. “Let me wash you? You’ll feel better. Clean.”

Joe whimpered in relief. “Please.”

Rami took his time, finding every of skin he could reach for Joe’s sake, cleansing him of Mark’s touch, and then once again for good measure. He massaged the shampoo into Joe’s hair, and laughed in relief when Joe cracked his first smile of the night, looking the most relaxed Rami had seen him since they’d gotten home. He wrapped Joe in a fluffy towel, kissing every part of skin he dried off, watching as Joe relaxed further into him, the shock finally wearing off, leaving only exhaustion in its wake.

“Shhh,” Rami soothed, helping Joe into his pajama pants. “You’re okay, love. You still with me?”

“Yeah,” Joe mumbled, and he yawned. He reached around for his toothbrush, hoping to wash out the mixture of alcohol, Mark and vomit from his mouth. “Just tired. And I want cuddles.”

“I can help with that.”

Joe would swear down to his dying day that Rami gave the best hugs. It was a talent really, one that Joe was incredibly grateful for, as they now lay in bed, tangled together. He looked up, staring at Rami, who was staring back, a pensive look on his face. He wasn’t saying anything, waiting for Joe to speak first instead. He was letting Joe lead, and Joe felt his heart swell with affection. Joe said nothing though, instead reaching up to run his hand through Rami’s curly, unruly hair, watching in fascination as Rami’s eyes drifted closed, almost purring with contentment. Joe couldn’t help it, he snickered, amused.

“You’re so cute.”

“That makes two of us.”

”I can’t believe you punched him in the face,” Joe said, snickering again. “That was brilliant.”

Rami looked entirely too proud, not missing a beat. “And I would do it all over again for you. Fuck him.”

Joe pushed himself up then, stilling his hand in Rami’s hair as he kissed him soundly. He poured every bit of emotion into the kiss, hoping it conveyed how he grateful he was, and how he thankful he was for having Rami at his side tonight. It was more than words could ever say, and based on the expression of love on Rami’s face as they parted, he knew.

Rami leaned back in, a softer kiss this time. His face was flushed, hair wild from Joe’s fingers in it, but Joe had never seen someone so beautiful. “I love you so much, Joey.”

Joe smiled then, and it was worth seeing the expression Rami wore for that. “I love you too. You’re incredible, I don’t know how I got so lucky.”

Rami said nothing, but he smiled lovingly and wrapped his arms around Joe, pulling him back down to lay next to him. Joe shifted a bit, getting comfortable, reaching for Rami’s hand as he felt the exhaustion overtaking him.

The last thing he felt was Rami whispering something he couldn’t make out, lips pressed into his hair, and a kiss on his forehead.

”I’m the one who got lucky.”

\---

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this in one go in two hours, please let me know if it's not complete trash, thank you. Kudos and comments welcome <3


End file.
